For the first time in decades, there are schooners 'abuilding on the famed waterfront at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada. Dawson Moreland & Associates are building not just one, but two 48' wooden schooners in the best of Maritime traditions. These 'twins' will be built simultaneously, frame for frame, plank for plank, alongside the historic Lunenburg Dory Shop at 175 Bluenose Drive. Follow their progress from keel laying to launch!

An artist's interpretation of the Twin Schooner Project

Monday, October 24, 2011

There's something to be said for good ol' black and white photography when it comes to highlighting the lines or design of an object.

Friday, October 14, 2011

As Danie and Bub continue hanging the Alaskan Yellow Cedar hull planks on our twin schooners, Dave is working on patterns for the garboards, to be made of more of that sawblade-killing, but super durable Angelique. You may recall the sheer planks for these new Lunenburg Schooners (www.lunenburgschooners.com) were also made of this wood. See the gang unloading some of these incredibly dense (dense=heavy as hell!) planks below.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Canadian musican David Wilcox sang about "laying pipe all night long," but for the twin schooner gang it's hanging plank all day long. And wow, are they making progress! Check out these latest shots from down in the Dory Shop Boatyard and remember you can click on the photo for an enlarged view.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Billy Campbell, actor, sailor, adventurer and owner of one of our twin schooners, has been hanging out in Lunenburg these last few weeks filming a new movie.

The Disappeared, written and directed by Canadian-born Shandi Mitchell, is a psychological drama about six fishermen fighting to survive after their swordfishing boat goes down during the night in the North Atlantic.

The entire film takes place in the two small dories from which the men abandon their sinking ship. It’s being shot just off the coast here in Lunenburg Bay with cast and crew working long, often wet and tiring days on the ocean. But that’s just fine by Billy, who considers himself lucky to be able to work here.

“What’s not to like about this town?” says the actor, currently appearing in the hit AMC drama The Killing. “I go to work off the railway wharf, right between The Dory Shop [where he can see Dave and the gang working on his schooner] and the Barque Picton Castle,” on which he has made two world voyages – one of the few people beyond the Captain and the ship's cat to do so!

Billy’s also a great fit for the film, in which he plays Mannie, the vessel’s second mate. After two world circumnavigations, he’s certainly an experienced seafarer who’s also up to the physical task of rowing the nearly 20-foot, 500-pound Trawl dories in which the tale is set, not to mention working on the exhausting platform of a rolling ocean for hours at a time.

Filming has taken place in all manner of weather, including heavy wind and rain overnight last night. It wraps up this week and before you know it Billy will be headed to Vancouver to shoot season 2 of The Killing.

About Me

Based on original designs inspired by the classic vessels of the age of sail, the New Lunenburg Schooners are simple, elegant cruising craft, modeled to be extremely seaworthy, sail swiftly, perform boldly and allow their proud owners to live comfortably aboard as they pursue their sailing dreams, whether that’s blue water adventures to remote islands or cruising along the coast.
Proud to be located in the historic seaport of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, Lunenburg Schooners – a project of Dawson Moreland & Associates – are built in the tried and true, time-tested way with stout wooden planks on heavy double-sawn frames, the same techniques that created the famous “Fast and Able” North Atlantic fishing schooners Bluenose and Bluenose II of Lunenburg and the great schooners of Gloucester but using only the very best materials and finest durable timbers sourced from around the world.
Perhaps most importantly, Lunenburg Schooners are designed and crafted by shipwright-mariners who share a love for tradition and the schooner rig in particular, and who understand the value of both. As sailors themselves, they’ll share your dream and help to make it come true.